Monday, April 21, 2014

5 Reasons Women Should Participate in Disaster Planning

An argument can be made that the people chosen for
any type of planning committee should be a representative sample of the people
they are planning for. Yet, women are still widely unrepresented when it comes
to disaster planning teams. Whether this
is due to a lack of inclusion on the part of those in charge or a lack of
interest on the part of women is not a question we’ll be exploring in this
post. Instead, we want to talk about five compelling reasons women should
participate:

Reason #1

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, women have unique
health care and hygiene needs related to menstruation, breast feeding and
pregnancy that come into play during disasters. These needs may be
inadvertently overlooked by all male planning teams.

Reason #2

During disaster situations a complex set of factors
create an increased risk of psychological, physical and sexual violence for
women. To help planning teams reduce this risk and provide women with the
education, skills and tools to protect themselves, the National Sexual Violence
Resource Center developed a detailed planning guide for preventing and
responding to sexual violence in disasters. When women are included in the
planning process, these types of issues are more likely to be considered.

Reason #3

For those who subscribe to traditional gender roles
(i.e., males as protectors) disaster scenarios present unique challenges. One
of the hallmarks of disaster is an immediate overwhelming of societal structure
and safeguards, which means self-reliance becomes a necessity. The people we
may typically rely on to take charge (e.g., spouses, supervisors, security,
police, etc.) may not be physically present or able to assume this
responsibility. Women on the planning team can help bring light to this issue
and augment training accordingly.

Reason #4

One of the central elements of disaster planning is
providing the resources and training each individual will need to act quickly
when disaster strikes. Training is far more likely to resonate with women and
be more relevant to their needs if women are involved in curriculum development
and presentation.

Reason #5

Research by the World Health Organization suggests
that women perceive disaster related risk differently from men and play a
unique role in disaster recovery. Including women and incorporating diverse
perspectives can only serve to strengthen a disaster response plan.

Whether your disaster planning group is made up of employees or family
members, the contributions women can make are infinite. If for some reason you
are unable to include women and the unique experiences and strengths they bring
to your team, the next best option would be to make every effort to encourage their
involvement in other ways. Discussions, surveys, interviews and focus groups
can be used to assess the concerns, needs and recommendations of the women in
your group. In addition to immediate results like improved cohesion and
increased peace of mind for all involved, the inclusion of women has the
potential to reap rewards beyond measure in terms of increased safety and
chance of survival for the women in your group.